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PRELIMINARY OAT A LOGUE 



OF 



PLANTS POISONOUS TO STOCK. 



BY 



V. K. CHESNUT, B. S., 
Assistant, Division of Botany % Department of Agriculture. 



Reprinted from the Annual Report of the Bureau of Animal Industry for 18'J8.] 




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PRELIMINARY CATALOGUE 



OF 



PLANTS POISONOUS TO STOCK 



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V. K. CHESNUT, B. S., 

Assistant, Division of Botany, Department of Agriculture. 



[Reprinted from the Annual Report of the Bureau of Animal Industry for 1898.] 



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ILLUSTRATIONS 



Page. 

Fig. 38. Fly amanita {Amanita muscaria) .. 394 

39. False hellebore ( Veratrum viride) 396 

40. Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) 396 

41. Slender nettle ( Urtica gracilis) _ _ 397 

42. Pokeweed (Phytolacca decandra) 398 

43. Corn cockle (Agrostemma githago) 399 

44. Aconite (Aconitum columbianum) 399 

45. Dwarf larkspur (Delphinium tricorne) 400 

46. Cursed Crowfoot ( Ranuncidus sceleratus) : 401 

47. Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum) . _ 402 

48. Black cherry (Primus serotina) 403 

49. Stemless loco weed (Aragallus lambertii) 403 

50. Woolly loco weed (Astragalus mollissimus) .. 404 

51. Rattl ebox (Crotalaria sagittalis) 405 

52. Caper spurge ( Euphorbia lathyris) 406 

53. Snow on the mountain (Euphorbia marginata) 406 

54. Castor-oil plant ( Ricinus communis ) ... 407 

55. Red buckeye (u^Jsculus pavia) , 407 

56. Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata) 408 

57. Oregon water hemlock ( Cicuta vagans) 409 

58. Poison hemlock ( Conium macxdatum) 409 

59. Narrow-leaf laurel (Kalmia angusti folia) 410 

60. Broad-leaf laurel (Kalmia latifolia) 410 

61. Branch ivy (Leucothoe catesbcei) 411 

62. Stagger bush (Pieris ma riana) 412 

63. Great laurel (Rhododendren maximum) 412 

64. Milkweed (Asclepias eriocarpa) . 413 

65. Jimson weed (Datura stramonium) . . 414 

66. Bittersweet (Solanum didcamara) . .. 415 

67. Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) 415 

68. Spreading nightshade (Solanum triflorum) 416 

69. Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) 417 



PRELIMINARY CATALOGUE OF PLANTS POISONOUS TO 

STOCK. 

By V. K. Chesnut, B. S., 
Assistant, Division of Botany, Department of Agriculture. 

In Bulletin No. 20 of the Division of Botany of this Department 
and in Farmers' Bulletin No. 86, also of this Department, an attempt 
was made to describe the plants native to the United States which are 
best known to be poisonous either to man or to domestic animals, and 
also to give a satisfactory account of their geographical distribution 
and poisonous qualities. No systematic attempt has a3 yet been made 
to study the poisonous plants of our new possessions. In the present 
catalogue there has been gathered together a few brief notes concern- 
ing a very much larger number of plants, mostly introduced or native, 
than was given in the bulletins named above, all of which have been 
reported to be more or less poisonous to stock. 

Some of the species treated of in the bulletins have been omitted 
in this catalogue, either because stock are not poisoned by eating 
them, or because they are not known to have been eaten by stock. 
The leaves of the various species of poisonous Rhus, for example, 
are eaten by several, if not all, kinds of stock with impunity, and 
even with considerable relish. On the other hand, stock have not 
been known to eat the false jessamine. The plants which are well 
known to cause death in a purely mechanical way are excluded from 
this account because they are not poisonous. Bacteria and all living 
plants parasitic on animal organisms have also been excluded. 

Those plants which are injurious or fatal in a mechanical way have 
been called "stock-killers" by Prof. J. H. Maiden, the well-known 
economic botanist of Australia. These contain no poisonous sub- 
stances, but operate chiefly by clogging up the intestines, by perfor- 
ating and inflaming the tissues of the eyes, the nose, or the mouth 
and intestinal tract, and perhaps by evolving gases which distend 
the stomach and intestines to such a degree that it is impossible for 
the lungs and heart to perform their function in aerating and circu- 
lating the blood. Instances of bloating are very frequent in stock, 
as is evidenced by the information contained in Bulletin No. 52 of 
the State Agricultural Experiment Station at Fort Collins, Colo. 
Prof. W. W. Cooke cites numerous cases of death in sheep, espe- 
cially ewes, from bloat caused by eating green alfalfa. He estimates 
that over 5 per cent are killed by eating it and concludes that it is 

387 
5528 1 



388 BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 

not a safe food for stock unless certain precautions are observed. 
The precautions enumerated are well worthy of careful consideration. 
While this action in several cases is mechanical, it seems probable 
that, under certain conditions, poisonous substances may also be 
formed in the stomach at the same time, and that these may also be 
a cause of death. Prussic acid may thus be easily formed from 
amygd aline, a nonpoisonous substance which exists in the leaves of 
several groups of plants belonging to the rose family. 

The annoying or serious and sometimes fatal effect of the sharp 
barbed awns of certain grasses is especially well known to Western 
farmers, who experience much trouble from the fox-tail and squirrel- 
tail grasses (Hordeum sp.), which are so abundant in Western mead- 
ows. These grasses make excellent fodder when young, but when 
nearly mature the awns easily separate, and frequently work their 
way into the mouth and throat, or the eyes and ears and cause such 
intense suffering that the animal must be killed. The hairs from the 
crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) act in a very different man- 
ner. In Circular No. 8 of the Division of Botanj^ of this Department 
Mr. Coville has shown that if the overripe dried plants are eaten by 
stock the hairs become easily detached from the flower stalks and 
heads, and, by virtue of their barbed structure, accumulate in the 
intestines in the form of felt-like balls which gradually increase in 
size until the intestines become completely clogged. Several instances 
of death from this cause have been recorded. This is also true of 
some species of cacti which in Mexico and the southwest serve as 
food for stock. In the issue of the Transactions of the Academy of 
Science of St. Louis for November 30, 1897 (Vol. 7, No. 18), Prof. 
Trelease gave an account of an unusual accumulation of fine cactus 
bristles which caused the death of a bull at San Luis Potosi in Mexico. 
The animal being untamable, had been allowed to run wild, its chief 
food in winter having consisted of five species of Opuntia, which 
grew plentifully in the vicinity. Since the minute bristles had not 
been scorched or burnt off the plant in any way, they were swallowed 
with the fleshy part and gradually accumulated in the form of six- 
teen spherical masses which averaged about 4 inches in diameter and 
about 7 ounces in weight. A microscopical investigation of these 
balls showed that they were composed almost wholly of the minute 
barbed bristles characteristic of the Opuntias. Anyone who has 
attempted to gather the gorgeous blossoms of these species can not 
fail to remember the ease with which the bristles pierce the flesh and 
the pertinacity with which they cling to it. When the plants are 
properly singed, however, they may be used for fodder without danger. 
When the larger spines only are cut off and the remainder feed to 
stock, these concretions are to be expected. 

At least one representative of the lower orders of fungi, the corn 
smut (Ustilago maydis), appears to be deleterious, and sometimes 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL KEPORT. 389 

even fatal to stock in a mechanical way by virtue of the large quan- 
tity of the dry powdery spores which it contains when mature. 
These probably act by expanding, and thus obstructing the stomach. 

In the case of some molds, such as the white mold (Aspergillus 
glaucus), found on corn and oats, it has been proved that the spores 
will germinate and grow within the tissues of the body. They cause 
death apparently from a poisonous compound which is produced 
simultaneously with the mold. Other plants are undoubtedly delete- 
rious to stock on account of their drj^, tough, fibrous, or indigestible 
character. Cases of blind staggers with marked cerebral symptoms 
have been cited to me by Dr. Albert Hassall, of the Bureau of Ani- 
mal Industry, which were caused simply by the continued feeding of 
a large quantity of dry fodder for several days or weeks. The intes- 
tines were completely stopped, but when the impacting material was 
removed the symptoms speedily vanished. 

The list as given is provisional for some species, as the reports upon 
which their reputation is founded are very meager, and sometimes 
even contradictory. A very interesting and instructive illustration 
of this was published in the Bulletin of Pharmacy for May, 1899. 
The chief portion of Mr. Theod. A. Melter's article entitled "When 
to Gather Plants" [for drugs] is devoted to a consideration of the 
time in various places in the Southern States, at which to gather the 
passion flower vine (Passiflora incarnata), which is very extensively 
used by pharmaceutical manufacturers. It is a well-recognized fact 
that, in order to get a drug of maximum and uniform strength, the 
plant should be cut off just above the roots when it is beginning to 
flower. The very interesting observation was made that, while the 
plant blossomed in March at West Palm Beach in Florida, the blos- 
soms did not appear until April at Jacksonville, Fla., 300 miles north- 
ward; nor until May at Montgomery, Ala., and June at Nashville, 
Tenn., both of which latter places are, respectively, 300 and 600 
miles north of Jacksonville. The drug collected at the flowering 
time at all of these places proved to be of equal potency. The most 
interesting fact, however, comes in right here. In July, 500 pounds 
of the drug was collected and offered for sale at Jacksonville. As 
the plant blossoms here in April, the drug was refused for medical 
use, but was purchased at a cent a pound to be used for hay. The 
horse to which it was fed ate it with relish so long as the supply 
lasted, and even preferred it to hay. No ill results were observed, 
and in fact the horse became not only very fat, but more high spir- 
ited. Eight months later, in March, the author of the article received 
50 pounds of the fully potent drug from West Palm Beach, and, by 
accident or carelessness, his horse got access to it at night and ate 
over half of the quantity. The animal was found in a very stupid 
state the next morning, and it remained in this condition, but with 
loss of flesh, for six weeks when it died. When it is remembered 



390 BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 

that the other horse ate 500 pounds and became high spirited, the 
effect of the varying season on the drug is at once apparent. 

Several doubtful plants are here enumerated, not necessarily be- 
cause it is believed that they are poisonous, but with the view to 
eliciting more positive evidence either for or against them. Although 
comprehensive, the list is incomplete, for experience is slowly but con- 
stantly adding to the number already known or suspected to be 
poisonous. 

A few plants not poisonous to stock are nevertheless objectionable 
to stockmen and should be mentioned in this connection. This class 
includes all of those which, when eaten, taint the milk or impart a 
disagreeable or more rarely poisonous quality to the animal's flesh. 
Wild garlic (Allium vineale) is a familiar example of a plant which 
taints milk. It is intended, however, to speak here only of those 
species which thus indirectly cause poisoning. Mention has been 
made of a few such plants in »the catalogue, the most prominent 
being the bitterweed (Helenium tenuifolium) of the Gulf States, and 
the may apple (Podophyllum peltatum) of the Eastern States. More 
facts and further investigation are needed in this line of work. 

In considering the circumstances under which stock eat this obnox- 
ious vegetation the most stress should be laid upon unfamiliarity. 
The odor and the taste of the plants which are ordinarily eaten by 
stock are so varied that it is little wonder that any animal, when 
placed among plants with which it is unfamiliar, will eat one that is 
deleterious. Especially when hungry or thirsty such animals are apt 
to eat anything of the kind placed within their reach. The custom 
so prevalent in the West of driving large herds of cattle and sheep 
from one pasture ground over wide areas of barren country to another 
is especially conducive to severe losses from plant poisoning. 

Another very important class of cases is due to a purely artificial 
cause, and may therefore be remedied by the exercise of due intelli- 
gence and care. This cause consists in the use of impure or unclean 
hay. The seed sown is sometimes contaminated with poisonous weed 
seeds or with the spores of ergot. Grass or meadow hay is still more 
apt to contain poisonous plants. These are, of course, generally 
rejected by all but the most hungry animals, but when the texture 
happens to be nearly the same as that of the hay itself it is very apt 
to be eaten by the animal. Bulletin No. 35 of the North Dakota 
Experiment Station contains an interesting account by Prof. E. F. 
Ladd of the poisoning of a bull by eating slough hay which was 
described as being badly contaminated with the water hemlock 
(Cicuta maculata). In the case investigated, evidence of the water 
hemlock poison was plainly detected in the stomach. 

The practice of tempting stock to eat material which is more or 
less deleterious by cutting it up finely and mixing it with food of 
superior quality is also open to criticism. There is some question in 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 391 

regard to the merits of the seeds of the velvet bean as a food plant 
for stock. The plant is now largely cultivated in the South, but does 
not mature its seed well except in Florida and the adjacent parts of 
Georgia and Alabama. The nitrogen content of the seed is very high, 
but, according to Mr. J. F. Duggar, of the Alabama Station, the 
verdict of three out of four correspondents is against the use of the 
seed as a food for man. The fourth man, quoting from Professor 
Duggar's bulletin on the subject, says: "For human food they are 
by all odds the richest and best vegetable I have ever tasted. If 
eaten in large quantities they will nauseate the stomach, not from 
poison, but from richness." This recommendation is of rather doubt- 
ful value, especially when we consider there is one authentic case on 
record in which nearly fifty people were very badly poisoned by 
eating the seeds. Stock often refuse to eat the seeds, but as the hull 
is readily eaten alone, both the hull and seed are often ground up 
together in order to make the animals eat the seeds, which are con- 
sidered very nutritious. It is possible, however, that, as in the case 
of the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), much of the nitrogen which 
they contain is in the form of amides, and is, therefore, not available 
for nutrition. If not absolutely poisonous, it may possibly be deleteri- 
ous in the assimilation of other food. 

Some plants useful for fodder in small quantities are deleterious 
when fed continuously as hay. In Bulletin No. 35 of the North 
Dakota Station Professor Ladd has shown that millet hay exercises 
a very marked action on the kidneys of stock to which it has been 
fed continuously, and he has succeeded in isolating a poisonous 
glucocide. Lupines (L. plattensis and L. leucophyllus) are esteemed 
as good fodder in Montana, but the enormous fatality which has 
occasionally attended its use show that it is poisonous under some 
conditions, probably when the ripe seeds are present in considerable 
quantity. 

The most serious losses of stock due to poisonous weeds have been 
reported from the western half of the United States. In three cases 
that occurred in October and November, 1898, over 2,000 sheep are 
reported to have perished. Smaller fatalities have been reported 
from all parts of the United States, including Alaska. The money 
value of this loss can not well be' estimated, but it must be a very 
considerable sum. The loss to one correspondent from loco in one 
year is estimated at $2,200, and, as is mentioned in the catalogue, 
the State of Colorado paid out $200,000 in bounties to rid itself of 
this pest. The loss from lupine poisoning in Montana during the 
fiscal year ending June 30, 1899, is estimated at about $10,000. The 
number of eastern cases of animal poisoning investigated by the 
Division of Botany during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899, is 
only six, all of which were of minor importance only. Twenty cases 
from west of the Mississippi were investigated during the same period. 



392 BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 

The information incorporated in the accompanying catalogue has 
been procured from the most diverse sources. Special treatises, 
including the works of Kobert, Blythe, Cornevin, Frohner, Dammann, 
Millspaugh, "White, Van Hasselt, and Rochebrune, have been con- 
stantly at hand, and free recourse has been had to the numerous 
articles found in the various botanical and chemical journals and 
agricultural bulletins; also the literature indexed in the Catalogue 
and Index Medicus of the Surgeon-General's library at Washington. 
Besides some actual experiments made in this Department, an impor- 
tant and most valuable source of information has been the corre- 
spondents of the Division of Botany. The letters from farmers and 
large stock raisers have done much to further our knowledge in these 
lines. The letters from botanists, chemists, and medical men have 
been especially esteemed for the more explicit information which they 
conveyed. 

The problem of establishing the identity of a plant which has, or is 
supposed to have, caused poisoning in the field is not always easy, 
and it is frequently only by a combined knowledge of the sciences 
and of a variety of diseases that it can be solved. For the general 
facts as to the occurrence of losses, the number of animals affected, 
and the amount of the money loss we must look to those whose inter- 
ests are immediately affected. The same class can also afford us gen- 
eral data, assisting in the identification of the plant which has inflicted 
the damage. For the final determination of the injurious plant, how- 
ever, technical assistance is required, and here the veterinarian, the 
chemist, and the botanist can be of great service. 

When, however, the plant has been identified we still need infor- 
mation concerning the nature of the poison, and need to know of a 
rational antidote. For this knowledge we must depend upon the 
chemist and medical man. 

The cooperation of chemists and medical men is therefore espe- 
cially solicited; but at the same time it is still necessary to impress 
upon others the desirability of their assistance in obtaining the fullest 
and most accurate information in regard to all the phases of plant 
poisoning which come under their observation. 

CATALOGUE OF PLANTS POISONOUS TO STOCK. 

PERISPORACE^E (Rot-mold Family). 

Aspergillus glaucus (L.) Link. — This is the common flocculent 
woolly mold which sometimes develops to a dangerous extent 
on corn, oats, and other food grains which have either been har- 
vested before full maturity or been stored in a damp place. The 
moldy growth is pure white at first, but changes with the ripening 
of the spores to gray and then green. The spores are apparently 
the cause of the so-called enzootic cerebritis, or "staggers," of 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 393 

horses, which, during the winter of 1898-99, has been reported 
as having caused very heavy losses throughout the Missouri Val- 
ley, in Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, and Maryland. Experiments 
made in 1891 by Dr. N. S. Mayo, at Manhattan, Kans., confirm 
the results of European investigators, who have shown that the 
spores of this mold will grow inside of a living animal if they are 
introduced into the blood in any way. Death is probably caused 
by some poison which is simultaneously produced with the mold 
in the body of the animal. 

HYPOCREACE^ (Ergot Family). 

Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul. — This, the most common species of 
ergot, infests various species of native and cultivated grasses. 
It causes great loss of stock, especially in the West, where it is 
much more common than in the Eastern States. 

USTILAGINACE^ (Smut Family). 

Ustilago maydis (DC.) Corda. — The black powdery fungus known 
as corn smut is common throughout the corn-producing districts 
of the middle West and is occasionally reported as being fatal to 
stock. Experiments made in Wisconsin and elsewhere show that 
it is not a very active poison when eaten in moderate quantity. 
When fed in gradually increasing amounts up to 2 pounds, no 
effect was noted, but 4 pounds fed on each of two successive days 
caused the sudden death of one cow. Since corn smut has been 
shown to be less fatal when wet, it seems probable that its phys- 
ical and not its chemical character may be responsible for the 
death of cattle which have eaten it in considerable quantity. 

UREDINACEiE (Rust Family). 

Coleosporium solidaginis (Schw.) Theum. — This is a parasitic 
growth that is found on some species of golden rod and is pos- 
sibly responsible for the cause of the so-called golden-rod poison- 
ing in horses. (See Solidago sp. ) 

AGARICACEu-E (Mushroom Family). 

Amanita muscaria (L.) Fr. — The well-known fly Amanita (fly 
fungus; deadly Amanita) may be found from spring to early 
winter in pine forests throughout the United States. Cows are 
supposed to be killed by eating it, and almost every year the 
daily papers chronicle the death of several human beings who 
were led to eat the fungus through mistake for some edible 
species. The fresh cap is frequently rubbed up with milk and 
used to poison flies. 



394 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



PHALLACEiE (Stink-horn Family). 

Clathrus columnatus Bosc. — In an article published in the Botan- 
ical Gazette (vol. 15, p. 45), Dr. Farlow, of Harvard University, 
gives an account of an investigation of a case of poisoning in 
hogs which was caused by eating this peculiar fungus. It grows 
in patches in oak woods and openings, and is quite common 
throughout the Southern States. 




Fig. 38.— Fly amanita (Amanita muscaria) : a, mature plant ; 6, top view of cap showing corky 
patches— both one half natural size. 

POLYPODIACEJE (Fern Family). 

Pteris aquilina L. — In July, 1895, nineteen cattle died in Maryland, 
which were supposed to have been poisoned by eating the common 
bracken fern. Very few similar cases are on record, but one 
European authority cites one in which five horses were killed by 
eating hay contaminated with this fern, and another states that 
cases are quite frequent among cattle in England. 

EQUISETACE^E (Horsetail Family). 

Equisetum arvense L. — The field horsetail was reported from 
Connecticut in 1871 as being poisonous to horses. Cases are very 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 395 

rare, and it is probable that this plant is deleterious only when 
eaten in considerable quantity and then perhaps only on account 
of its physical character. Experiments made in Europe show 
that a similar species {E. palustre) is fatal to horses when fed in 
considerable quantity with hay. 

TAXACE^E (Yew Family). 

Taxus minor (Michx.) Britton. — The common yew, or ground hem- 
lock of the northeastern United States, is called poison hem- 
lock in some places. The leaves of this shrub are probably 
poisonous to stock, as are those of the European yew. This 
species is more accessible to stock than the western yew ( Taxus 
brevifolia), which grows only in deep canyons. 

POACEiE (Grass Family). 

Lolium temulentum L. — The seed of the darnel, or poison rye 
grass, an introduced annual especially abundant on the Pacific 
Slope, is considered poisonous to both man and animals. 

Stipa robusta (Vasey) Nash. — This is a perennial plant which is 
known in Arizona and New Mexico as sleepy grass. It pro- 
duces a narcotic effect on horses and cattle that feed upon it, but 
stock bred in that region rarely touch it. 

Zea mays L. — The numerous deaths that are frequently attributed 
to Indian CORN are mostly due, not to any poison inherent in 
the plant, but rather to parasitic or saprophytic fungus growths, 
as noted under Aspergillus and Ustilago. The green fodder is very 
apt to cause severe and even fatal bloating if the animal's diet 
is not properly regulated. Death has also been attributed to the 
presence of niter (potassium nitrate) in the growing stalks. It 
is supposed that in very rich soil this substance will sometimes 
accumulate in the stalks in considerable quantity during a pro- 
longed drought. 

MELANTHACE^E (Bunch-flower Family). 

Chrosperma muscaetoxicum (Walt.) Kuntze. — The bulbous portion 
of the fly poison, or crow poison, an Eastern plant, is some- 
times eaten by cattle with fatal results. The bulbs, when mashed 
up with molasses, are used to stupefy flies. 

Veratrum viride Ait. — The leaves of the common swamp helle- 
bore (American white hellebore; false hellebore; 
Indian poke) of the eastern and northern portions of the United 
States have proved fatal to man and to horses. Sheep eat the 
young leaves and shoots with apparent relish. The seed is 
poisonous to chickens. 

Veratrum californicum Durand. — The root and young shoots of the 
California false hellebore have been reported as being fatal 
to horses. 



396 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Zygadenus venenosus Wats. — The name death camas has been 
applied to this plant in the Northwest to distinguish it from the 
true camas (Quamasia quamash), which is highly esteemed for 

food by the Indians. In Ore- 
gon it is erroneously called 





Fig. 39.— False hellebore (Veratrum viride), one- 
third natural size. 



Fig. 40.— Lily of the valley ( Convalla- 
riamajalis), one-third natural size. 



"lobelia" by most stockmen and farmers. Horses, cattle, and 
sheep, as well as man, are poisoned by eating the bulb. 
Zygadenus elegans Pursh. — The bulbs, and perhaps the leaves of 
the Glaucous zygadenus, or alkali grass, are poisonous to 
cattle. 

LILIACE^E (Lily Family). 

Leucocrinum montanum Nutt. — This beautiful little plant is known 
throughout the Northwest as leucocrinum. It is supposed in 
Montana to be very fatal to sheep, especially after the fruit is 
developed. 

Nothoscordum bivalve (L.) Britton. — The bulbs of a plant called 
CROW poison were sent to the Department from Texas in 
March, 1898, with the information that they were suspected of 
being very fatal to cattle at that time of the year. The mature 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 397 

plants grown from these bulbs proved to be of the above species. 
Another common name for the plant is yellow false garlic. 

CONVALLARIACE^ (Lily of the Valley Family). 

Convallaria majalis L. — All parts of the lily of the valley are 
powerfully poisonous, and are liable to cause damage to cattle 
and horses. 

HJEMODORACE^ (Blood wort Family). 

Gyrotheca capitata (Walt.) Morong. — This is the red root, or 
paint root, of the Atlantic Coast and Cuba, so called on account 
of the red color of its sap. White hogs are supposed, through- 
out the South, to be particu- 
larly subject to the poison 
contained in the plant. 

AMARYLLIDACEiE (Amaryllis 
Family). 

Atamosco atamasco (L.) 
Greene. — The atamasco 
lily of the southeastern 
United States is supposed by 
some persons to cause the 
disease known as ' ' staggers " 
in horses. 

FAGACE,^ (Beech Family). 

Quercus sp. — In Europe the 
acorns of various species of 
oaks cause sickness and 
death in hogs and cattle 
This effect may possibly be 
due to bloating, but may also 
be due in some way to the 
tannin or the bitter principle 
which they contain. 

URTICACE^E (Nettle Family). 
TT „. ... ... mi „,„„ Fig. 41.— Slender nettle (Urtica gracilis). 

Urtica gracilis Ait. — The SLEN- 
er nettle covers thou- 
sands of acres of reclaimed swamp land in Michigan and Wiscon- 
sin, which is made nearly worthless by its dense growth, horses 
refusing to pass through it to cultivate the soil. 




398 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



CHENOPODIACE^: (Goosefoot Family). 

Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Hook.) Torr. — Black greasewood, or 
CHico, is a scraggy shrub which grows in strongly alkaline soil in 
the southwestern and western portions of the United States. A 
correspondent in New Mexico states that on one occasion he 
counted as many as 1,000 sheep that had been killed by eating 
the leaves of this plant. It is claimed that cows are not affected 
by eating it at any time and that sheep can eat it quite freely in 
winter. Death is perhaps due more to the bloating effect rather 
than to any poisonous substance which the plant contains. 




Fig. 42. —Poke weed (Phytolacca decandra), one-half natural size. 
PHYTOLACCACE^E (Pokeweed Family). 

Phytolacca decandra L. — The leaves of the common pokeweed 
(poke; garget; American nightshade) of the eastern half of 
the United States is occasionally eaten by cattle with fatal results. 

ALSINACE^E (Pink Family). 

Agrostemma githago L. — The common corn cockle (cockle; mul- 
lein pink) is an introduced weed from Europe. Poultry and 
household animals are occasionally poisoned by eating the seeds 
or the bread made from wheat contaminated with the seeds. 

Silene antirrhina L. — The sleepy catchfly, which is found through- 
out the United States, was stated to have poisoned sheep in 
southern Michigan a few years ago, but there is reason to believe 
that the poisoning was due to another source. 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



399 



MAGNOLIACE^JE (Magnolia Family). 

Illicium floridanum Ellis. — The leaves of this species of anisetree 
are supposed to be poisonous to stock. 

RANUNCULACE^ (Crowfoot Family). 

Aconitum napellus L. — The European aconite (monkshood; 
wolfsbane) is very commonly cultivated in gardens and is 
therefore capable of doing- 
great damage to stock. 
Horses and cattle have fre- 




FiG.43. — Corn cockle (Agrostemma yithago). 
a, sprays showing flowers and seed capsule, 
one-third natm^al size; b, seed, natural size; 
6', seed, four times natural size. 



Fig. 44.— Aconite {Aconitum columbianum) : a, 
flowering plant ; 6, seed capsule— both one- 
third natural size. 



quently been poisoned by eating the leaves and floweriug 
tops. 

Aconitum columbianum Nutt. — The Western aconite, or monks- 
hood, is native in the northwestern portion of the continent, 
where it sometimes poisons sheep. 

Actaea alba (L.) Mill., White baneberry. — Actsea rubra (Ait.) 
Willd., Red baneberry. — Very little damage is done to stock 
by these plants, because animals generally refuse to eat them. 



LtfC 



400 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Sheep are occasionally poisoned b} r eating the leaves of a closely 
related European species (A. spicata). 
Anemone quinquefolia L. — The COMMON wind FLOWER which grows 
throughout most of the United States is extremely acrid and 
poisonous. Cattle seldom touch it. The plant loses most of its 
poison in drying. 
Delphinium tricorne Michx. — The dwarf larkspur, or stagger 
weed, of the northeastern quarter of the United States has been 

especially reported from Ohio 
as fatal to cattle in April, when 
the fresh leaves appear. 
Delphinium consolida L. — The 
seeds of the commonly intro- 
duced FIELD LARKSPUR are 
well known to be poisonous; 
the leaves are known in Europe 
to be fatal to cattle. 
Delphinium menziesii DC. — 
The purple larkspur of the 
northwestern quarter of the 
United States is very common 
throughout Montana. In one 
case of poisoning reported by 
Dr. E. V. Wilcox of the Mon- 
tana Experiment Station, over 
600 sheep were affected, 250 of 
which were claimed to have 
been killed by the weed. An 
experiment made by Dr. S. B. 
Nelson, professor of veterinary 
sciences in the Washington 
State Agricultural College, 
shows that it is possible to feed 
as much as 24| pounds of the 
fresh leaves to a sheep within 
a period of five days without 
any apparent ill effect taking place. An experiment made by 
Dr. Wilcox shows that the extract from less than an ounce of the 
dried leaves killed a yearling lamb in two hours, the dose having 
been given by way of the mouth. 
Delphinium geyeri Greene. — The Wyoming larkspur is well known 
throughout Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska under the name 
of poison weed. It is reported to be the most troublesome plant 
to stock in Wyoming, the dark-green tufts of foliage being espe- 
cially tempting in spring when the prairies are otherwise dry and 
barren. 




Fig. 45. — Dwarf larkspur (Delphinium tricorne), 
one third natural size. 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



401 



Delphinium recurvatum Greene. — This species of larkspur grows 
in wet suhsaline soil in the southern half of California. It has 
been reported from San Luis Obispo County as fatal to animals. 

Delphinium scopulorum Gray. — The tall mountain larkspur of 
the Rocky Mountains has been reported to the Canadian Depart- 
ment of Agriculture as poisonous to cattle in the high western 
prairies of Canada. 

Delphinium trolliifolium Gray. — This plant is common throughout 
the coast region of northern California, Oregon, and AVashington. 
In Humboldt County, Cal. , it 
is known as COW poison on 
account of its fatal effect on 
cattle. Its toxic character 
has been questioned. Per- 
haps it is not equally poison- 
ous throughout all stages of 
its growth. 

Helleborus viridis L. — The 
green hellebore is a Euro- 
pean plant sometimes found 
as an escape from our gar- 
dens. All of the parts are 
poisonous. Cattle have been 
killed by eating the leaves. 

Ranunculus sceleratus L. — The 

CURSED CROWFOOT, 01* CEL- 
ERY-LEAFED CROWFOOT, is 

found throughout the eastern 
half of the United States and 
also in Europe. Cattle gen- 
erally avoid all of the butter- 
cups, but fatal cases of poi- 
soning from this plant are 
recorded in European litera- 
ture. When dried in hay, 
the plant appears to be non- 
poisonous. The bulbous 
crowfoot (B. bulbosus) and the tall crowfoot (E. acris) are 
well known to be very acrid in taste, and it is probable that all 
of the species which grow in water or in very marshy land are 
poisonous. 

BERBERIDACE^ (Barberry Family). 

Podophyllum peltatum L. — The leaves of the common mandrake, 
or May apple, of the eastern half of the United States, are spai*- 
ingly eaten by some cattle. Cases of poisoning are very rare, 




Fig. 46. 



-Cursed crowfoot (Ranunculus scelera- 
tus.) 



402 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



but the experience of one correspondent shows that the milk 
from a cow that had been feeding on the plant off and on for 
about three weeks was so extremely laxative as to be positively 

poisonous. The incident oc- 
curred during babyhood, when 
cow's milk was the sole source 
of food. The physiological ef- 
fect of the milk was precisely 
like that of mandrake. It was 
shown that the cow ate the 
plant, which was abundant in 
one pasture, and when the ani- 
mal was removed to a pasture 
free from the plant the illness 
stopped at once. 

BUTNERIACE^ (Strawberry-shrub 
Family). 

Butneria fertilis (Walt.) Kear- 
ney. — The large oily seeds of 

the CALYCANTHUS, Or SWEET- 
SCENTED shrub, contain a 
poisonous alkaloid, and are 
strongly reputed to be poison- 
ous to cattle in Tennessee. 

PAPAVERACE^E (Poppy Family). 

Argemone mexicana L. — The 
Mexican poppy is reputed to 
be poisonous to stock both in 
the United States and in New South Wales. The seeds are nar- 
cotic, like opium. 

Chelidonium majus L. — The j^ellow milky sap of the celandine, an 
introduced weed common in the East, contains both an acrid and 
a narcotic poison. Both are powerfully active, but cases of poi- 
soning are very rare, as stock refuse to touch the plant. 

Papaver somniferum L., opium poppy, or garden poppy. — 
P. rhceas L., field poppy, red poppy, or corn poppy. — These 
plants are sometimes found as escapes from our gardens. Both 
contain acrid and narcotic poisons, and European literature 
records the death of various animals from eating their leaves 
and seed pods. 

PRUNACEJE (Plum Family). 

Prunus caroliniana (Mill.) Ait. — The LAUREL CHERRY, or MOCK 
orange, is native in the southeastern quarter of the United, 




Fig. 47. — Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum). 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



403 



States, and is there often cultivated for hedges. The half-wilted 
leaves and the seeds yield prussic acid and are poisonous when 
eaten by animals. 
Prunus serotina Ehrh. — The wild black cherry is a valuable 
forest tree which ranges throughout the eastern half of the 
United States. Cattle are killed by eating the partially wilted 
leaves from branches thrown carelessly within their reach or 




© c 




Fig. 



48. — Black cherry {Prunus serotina), one- 
third natural size. 



Fig. 49.— Stemless loco weed 
{Aragalluslambertii): a, flow- 
ering plant; b, seed pods; c, 
cross section of seed pod— all 
one-third natural size. 



ignorantly offered as food. The leaves of various other wild 
and cultivated cherries are probably poisonous to cattle in the 
same way. 

VICIACEJE (Pea Family). 

Aragallus lambertii (Pursh.) Greene. — The Lambert, or stemless 
loco weed is, next to the following species, the best-known rep- 
resentative of a large group of closely related plants which are 
native to the western half of the United States, and are known as 
loco weeds on account of the peculiar crazy condition which they 
induce in animals that eat of their leaves. Horses and cattle are 
5528 2 



404 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



both affected, but the chief damage is done to horses. After 
being permitted to graze on any of these plants the animal 
acquires an unnatural appetite for them and soon refuses all 
other kinds of food. It rapidly becomes unmanageable and crazy, 
and finally dies from the lack of proper nourishment. 
Astragalus mollissimus Torr. — This, the woolly loco weed, is 
perhaps the best known of all the loco weeds. It is the species 
most abundant in Colorado, where from 1881 to 1885 nearly 
,000 was paid out in bounties in an attempt to exterminate 

it. The plant is still abundant 
in that State, and reports of 
the damage done by it con- 
tinue frequent. Specimens of 
the three following species of 
Astragalus have been for- 
warded to the Division of Bot- 
any with the information that 
they were causing great finan- 
cial loss in the districts noted. 
It is quite probable that other 
species are dangerous also. 
Astragalus bigelovii A. Gray. — 
Especially reported from Plain- 
view, Tex. 
Astragalus hornii A. Gray. — 
Stock are affected by this loco 
weed in the southern part of 
California. 
Astragalus pattersoni A. Gray. — 
This was especially reported 
from Flagstaff, Ariz. , as poison- 
ous to horses and to sheep. 
Crotalaria sagittalis L. — The 

RATTLEBOX (RATTLE WEED ; 

wild pea) is an annual weed 
which grows on sandy soil 
throughout most of the eastern 
half of the United States. In some years it is especially abun- 
dant in the bottom lands of the Missouri Valley. Horses and 
sometimes cattle are killed in this region by eating grass or 
meadow hay which is contaminated with the plant. 
Lupinus leucophyllus Dougl. — This herbaceous shrub is a represent- 
ative of a very large genus of plants, many of which are widely 
and abundantly distributed throughout the West, and are gen- 
erally known as lupines. The above species is very abundant 




Fig. 50.— Woolly loco weed (Astragalus mollissi- 
mus): a, whole plant; b, section of pod— both 
one-third natural size. 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



405 



in Montana, where it is said to have caused the death of a very 
large number of sheep. There is some question whether the ani- 
mals are killed by a poisonous constituent of the plant or merely 
by bloat. The seeds of all the lupines are probably deleterious in 
the raw state. In Europe, however, the seeds of Lupinus albus, 
after the bitter taste has been removed by steeping and boiling, 
are eaten by human beings as well as by cattle. 

Robinia pseudacacia L. — The common locust tree is native in the 
central and eastern parts of the United States, and is extensively 
cultivated for ornamental purposes throughout the Union. The 
bark and the leaves contain a 
powerful poison, and persons 
have been killed by eating 
these parts. 

Sesbania vesicaria Ell. — The 
curious membranous-sacked 
seed pods of this annual vine 
were sent to the Department 
from South Carolina in No- 
vember, 1897, with the infor- 
mation that similar seeds were 
found in the stomachs of cows 
that had died from eating 
some poisonous plant. This 
species was most strongly 
suspected. 

Sophora secundiflora (Cav.) 
DC— The beautiful bright 
red beans of the frijolillo, 
or coral bean, of southern 
and western Texas contain a 
powerfully poisonous alka- 
loid. The plant is said to 
have poisoned stock in Texas 
and in northern Mexico. 

Sophora sericea Nutt. — The 
silky sophora of the south- 
ern Great Plains region has 

been somewhat vaguely reported as one of the plants that ' ' loco " 
horses in that region. The seeds contain a very poisonous alkaloid. 

Thermopsis rhombifolia (Nutt.) Richards. — This plant is known as 
the prairie THERMOPSIS throughout the northern part of the 
Great Plains region. The seeds have been reported to the Cana- 
dian Department of Agriculture as being poisonous to children. 
Since the plant grows abundantly in pasture lands, it is here 
mentioned as a plant to be suspected in cases of stock poisoning. 




Fig. 51.— Rattle box (Crotalariasagittalis): a, 
whole plant; b, cross section of seed pod — 
both one-third natural size. 



406 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



LIN ACE M (Flax Family). 

Linum rigidum Pursh. — The large-flowered yellow flax is 
reported from Pecos Valley, Tex., as poisonous to sheep. An 
investigation made at this Department showed that the plant is 
poisonous. 

MELIACEiE (Umbrella-tree Family). 

Melia azedarach L. — The Chinese umbrella tree is much culti- 
vated for ornament, and sparingly escaped from cultivation in 




Fig. 52.— Caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyris): 
a, upper half of plant, one-third natural 
size; b, seed capsule, natural size. 



Fig. 53. — Snow on the moxmt&in(Euphorbiamar- 
ginata): a, whole plant, one-third natural 
size; b, seed capsule, natural size. 



the South. A correspondent from Arizona states that three of 
his hogs were poisoned by eating the seeds, which were ignorantly 
offered to them for food. 



EUPHORBIACE^ (Spurge Family). 

Euphorbia sp. — There are many species of spurge native to the 
United States, nearly all of which contain an acrid milky juice. 
Stock generally avoid them, but cattle have been poisoned by 
drinking water into which the plants have been thrown. The 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



407 



juice of E. marginata and E. bicolor is used to some extent in 

Texas to brand cattle, it being held to be -superior to a red-hot 

iron for that purpose, because screw worms will not infect the 

fresh scar and the spot heals more readily. 
Jatropha stimulosa Michx. — The seeds of the spurge nettle of the 

Southern States are extremely poisonous. Stock avoid the plant 

on account of its stinging hairs. 
Ricinus communis L. — The castor oil plant is quite commonly 

cultivated in the warmer portions of the United States and has 




FlG. 54.— Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis). 



Fig. 55. — Red buckeye (JEsculuspavia): a, flow- 
ering branch; 6, seed— both two-ninths nat- 
ural size. 



escaped from cultivation in the South. The seeds have been 
accidently eaten by horses with fatal effect, and they have been 
strewn on pasture lands in the Northwest for the purpose of kill- 
ing sheep that were trespassing thereon. A Frenchman has 
discovered a method of making cattle immune to the effects of 
the toxalbumin contained in the seeds, so that they may be fed to 
stock without causing any apparent ill effect. 

BUXACE^E (Box Family). 

Buxus sempervirens L. — The leaves of the common box, which is 
cultivated in the Eastern States for hedges, are poisonous to all 
kinds of stock. 



408 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



CELASTRACE^E (Staff-tree Family). 

Celastrus scandens L. — The climbing bittersweet, or staff- vine, 
is native in the northeastern quarter of the United States and in 
New Mexico. One case on record shows that a horse was badly, 
though not fatally, poisoned by eating the leaves. 

JESCULACL33 (Buckeye Family). 

/Esculus californica (Spach) Nutt. California buckeye. — JE. 
glabra Willd. Ohio buckeye, fetid buckeye. — JE. hippocas- 
tanum L. Horse chestnut. — JE. pavia L. Red buckeye. — 

The leaves and fruit of these 
species are generally regarded 
as poisonous to stock. The 
fruit may be easily converted 
into food by washing and boil- 
ing. It is believed that a small 
quantity of the unprepared 
fruit of the California buck- 
eye will cause cows to slip 
their young. 

HYPERICACEyE (St. John's-wort 
Family). 

Hypericum perforatum L. — 
The common St. John's- 
wort is commonly believed 
to cause disagreeable erup- 
tions on cow's udders and on 
the feet of white-haired ani- 
mals. This species and the 
spotted St. John's-wort (H. 
maculatum Walt.) were 
brought into the Depai'tment 
by Dr. G. W. Bready, from 
Norwood, Md., who stated 
that five horses were poisoned 
in May, 1898, by eating 

meadow hay which contained nearly 50 per cent of these plants. 

One horse died from the effects of the poison, and two were killed 

to prevent their further suffering. 

APIACE^E (Carrot Family). 

Cicuta maculata L. — This is the water hemlock (spotted hem- 
lock; beaver POISON; cowbane) which grows most abundantly 
throughout the United States. It is one of our best known 
poisonous plants. Stock are not infrequently killed by eating 
the fleshy roots or hay with which the plants are mixed. 




Fig. 56.— Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata), show- 
ing section of spindle-shaped roots and lower 
stem, the leaves, flowers, and fruit, one-half 
natural size; also fruit and cross section of seed, 
enlarged five times. 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



409 



Cicuta vagans Greene. — Cattle are frequently killed in Oregon and 
Washington by eating the large fleshy rootstocks which have 
been washed, frozen, or dug out of the soil, or by drinking water 
in marshes where the roots have been trampled upon. The roots 
of the other species of Cicuta are undoubtedly poisonous, but 
cases have been reported against one other species only, namely, 
C. bolanderi. It grows in marshy land in California. 

Conium maculatum L. — The 
well-known poison hemlock, 
or spotted hemlock of Eu- 
rope, is an introduced weed 




Fig 57.— Oregon water hemlock ( Cicu ta va gem s ) ; 
a, plant with leaves, one-sixth natural size; b 
and &', rootstock and horizontal roots, showing 
section, half size; c, terminal leaflets, one-sixth 
natural size; d, flowering spray, full size. 



Fig. 58.— Poison hemlock (Conium macula- 
tum), showing upper portion of plant with 
flowers and seed, one-third natural size. 



not uncommon in the northeastern section of the United States 
and in California. The plant is generally avoided by stock on 
account of its bad odor, but animals have been killed by eating 
it in the fresh state. Since the poisonous constituent is volatile 
the dry plants are not so dangerous. 
Oxypolis rigidus (L.) Britton. — The COWBANE is natural in swamps 
throughout the eastern half of the United States. The leaves 
and roots are reputed to be poisonous to cattle. 



410 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Sium cicutaefolium Gmel. — The leaves of the hemlock water 
parsnip, which is more or less common throughout the United 
States, are said to he poisonous to stock. 

ERICAE^E (Heath Family). 

Andromeda polifolia L. — The wild rosemary, or moorwort, is a 
plant native to the northern regions of Europe, Asia, and Amer- 
ica, entering the United States only in the extreme northeast. 
The leaves, which have been eaten by sheep with fatal effect, 
contain a narcotic poison known as andromedotoxin. The plant 





Fig. 59. — Narrow -leaf laurel 
(Kahnia angustifolia), show- 
ing flowering branch, one- 
third natural size. 



Fig. 60. — Broad-leaf laurel (Kalinin latifolia) ; a, flowei-ing 
spray, one-third natural size; b, vertical section of flower 
showing peculiar attachment of stamens, natural size; c, 
fruiting capsules, natural size. 



is not verjr dangerous in its native habitat, because it grows in 
bogs which are inaccessible to stock. 

Azalea occidentalis Torr. & Gray. — The California azalea is very 
much dreaded by sheep men who drive their flocks into the south- 
ern Sierras for pasture. Investigation has shown that the leaves 
contain a poisonous substance. 

Epigaea repens L. — The leaves of the pretty little trailing arbutus 
(Mayflower; ground laurel), so commonly known as one of 
the early spring flowers, are reputed to be poisonous to stock. A 
cow was reported to have been poisoned by the plant in Maryland 
in the winter of 1897. It contains no andromedotoxin. 

Kalmia angustifolia L. — The narrow-leaf laurel is abundant in 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



411 



the northeastern section of the United States, where it is also 
well known as sheep laurel and lambkill. The leaves con- 
tain andromedotoxin, and sheep and calves are quite frequently 
poisoned by eating them. 

Kalmia latifolia L. — The broad-leaf laurel is native throughout 
the greater part of the eastern half of the United States, and is 
known by a great variety of 
common names, the most im- 
portant of which are LAUREL 
and ivy. The latter name is 
most commonly used south of 
Maryland. Scores of cattle 
and sheep are poisoned annu- 
ally by eating the plant. It is 
probably the most dangerous 
of all the shrubs belonging to 
the heath family. 

Ledum glandulosum Nutt. — The 
Californian Labrador tea 
grows at medium elevations in 
the Sierra Nevada range in 
California and in the Coast 
Range northward from Men- 
docino County. In selecting 
pasture land and in driving 
sheep through the mountains 
sheep men are careful to 
avoid the plant so far as pos- 
sible. 

Ledum groenlandicum (Eder. — 
The Labrador tea is an Arc- 
tic plant which may be found 
in bogs and swamps in the 
colder regions of the northeastern States 
tion as a stock poison. 

Leucothoe catesbaei (Walt.) A. Gray. — This is the branch ivy, 
hemlock, or calfkill, of the Allegheny Mountains. It is well 
known in that region to be fatal to all kinds of stock. 

Leucothoe racemosa (L.) A. Gray. — The swamp Leucothoe of the 
Atlantic and Gulf States has been reported from New Jersey as 
especially fatal to calves. 

Pieris floribunda (Pursh.) Benth. & Hook. — The mountain fetter 
BUSH is native in the mountains from Virginia to Georgia and is 
sometimes cultivated as an ornamental shrub. Sheep have been 
poisoned by eating the leaves. 




Fig. 61.— Branch ivy (Leucothoe catesbcei): a, 
flowering branch; 6, fruiting capsules. 



It has a slight reputa- 



412 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Pieris mariana (L.) Benth. & Hook. — The stagger bush of the 
Atlantic Coast region, Tennessee, and Arkansas is quite com- 
monly known to be poisonous to calves and to sheep. The name 
stagger bush was applied to the shrub on account of the peculiar 
intoxicating- effect of the leaves. 

Rhododendron californicum Hook. — The California rhododen- 
dron is native on the Pacific Slope from San Francisco to British 
Columbia. The plant is re- 
ported from Oregon as poison- 




PlG. 62. — Stagger bush (Pieris mariana), 
showing flowering branch, one-third nat- 
ural size. 



Fig. 63. — Great laurel (Rhododendron maxi- 
mum)', a, flowering branch; 6, fruiting cap- 
sules — both one-third natural size. 



ousto sheep. It is quite probable that the leaves contain andro- 
medotoxin, but they have not been tested. 
Rhododendron maximum L. — The great laurel (rosebay; moun- 
tain laurel; rhododendron) is a large evergreen bush or 
small tree which is quite commonly cultivated for ornament, and 
is found native in the Allegheny Mountains. The leaves contain 
andromedotoxin, and they are occasionally eaten by stock with 
fatal effect. 

PRIMULACE^ (Primrose Family). 

Anagallis arvensis L. — The pimpernel is a European plant which 
has obtained a specially strong foothold in California, where it 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



413 



grows luxuriantly and is sometimes known as poison weed. It 
is suspected of having caused the death of a horse at Santa Ana. 
Chemists have isolated a powerfully poisonous oil and a strongly 
active ferment from the plant. 

OLEACE^E (Olive Family). 

Ligustrum vulgare L. — The privet, or prim, is a garden shrub, 
introduced from Europe and Asia, which is much used for hedges 
in this country, and has escaped from cul- 
tivation in western New York and south- 
ward to North Carolina. Accidents have 
been occasioned in children both by the 
fruit and the leaves. The plant is to be 
suspected in cases of poisoning in animals. 

APOCYNACE^ (Dogbane Family). 

Apocynum androsaemifolium L., Spreading 

dogbane. — A. cannabinum L., Indian 

hemp. — These plants are quite generally 

distributed throughout the United States. 

Stock generally avoid them in pasture fields 

on account of their acrid milky juice. 

When dry they are not so poisonous as 

when in the fresh state. 
Nerium oleander L. — The oleander is a com- 
mon house plant throughout a large portion 

of the United States. It grows thriftily out 

of doors in the Southern and Western 

States, and has probably escaped from cul- 
tivation in some places. It grows wild in 

northern Mexico. The leaves are well 

known to be most powerfully poisonous, 

and stock are occasionally killed by eating 

them. 

ASCLEPI AD ACE^E (Milkweed Family). FlG 64. - Milkweed (As- 

clepias eriocarpa), one- 

Asclepias eriocarpa Benth. — This is the plant sixth natural size. 
with broad mullein-like leaves which is 

known as milkweed in California. Several authentic accounts 
of the poisoning of sheep have been secured against the plant in 
Mendocino County. It is especially feared on very warm days 
by sheep men when they are compelled to drive their flocks 
through dry, barren valleys. It sometimes grows on cultivated 
land and is cut with hav. 




414 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Asclepias mexicana Cav. — This smooth narrow-leaf milkweed 
is native in dry ground in California, Oregon, and Nevada. 
Specimens of the plant were sent to this Department from Han- 
ford, Cal., with the information that sheep and calves were not 
infrequently poisoned by eating the growing plant, and that cows 
were poisoned by eating hay which was contaminated with it. 
Asclepias syriaca L. — This is the common MILKWEED, orsiLKWEED, 
of the northeastern quarter of the United States. Experiments 
show that the milky juice so abundant in all parts of the plant 

is very acrid and poisonous. 
It is listed among the poison- 
ous plants of Europe. 
Asclepias tuberosa L. — The 
leaves of the butterfly 

WEED, Or PLEURISY ROOT, of 

the eastern half of the United 
States are somewhat suspected 
of being poisonous to stock. 

SOLAN ACE^E (Potato Family). 

Datura stramonium L. — D. 
tatula L. — These two species 
very closely resemble each 
other, and are most commonly 
known by the name of jimson 
weed. They are European 
plants which have become vile 
weeds in waste grounds and 
about dwellings throughout 
the greater portion of the 
country. One or two instances 
are recorded in which cattle 
have been poisoned by eating 
hay containing the young 
leaves. 

Hyoscyamus niger L. — The 

BLACK HENBANE is a vile, 111- 

smelling plant, a native of Europe, now naturalized in Michigan, 
and from New York northward. One or two cases are recorded 
in foreign literature in which stock have been poisoned by eating 
the plant of their own accord, but there is very little danger from 
it, on account of its ill odor and harsh texture. 
Nicotiana tabacum L. — This is the tobacco most commonly culti- 
vated in the United States. It is native to South America and 
has escaped from cultivation to some extent in the Southern 
States. According to some authorities stock are not always dis- 




FiG. 65. — Jinison weed (Datura stramonium): a, 
flowering spray; b, fruiting capsule— both one- 
third natural size. 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL HEPORT. 



415 



posed to shun this plant on account of its characteristic ill odor 
and taste, but, on the contrary, will eat a small amount of the 
leaves with apparent relish, especially when they are somewhat 
fresh. Stock have, however, been poisoned by eating leaves 
which were placed within their reach to dry, and also by eating- 
food contaminated with the juice of the leaves. Considerable 
precaution should be used in applying tobacco juice to fresh cuts 
or bruises in stock, as the poison is easily absorbed into the sys- 




Fig. 66.— Bittersweet (Solatium dulcamara): a, 
flowering spray; 6, fruit — both one-third nat- 
ural size. 



Fig. 



67. — Black nightshade (Solatium 
nigrum), one-third natural size. 



tern and may prove fatal. There are several native species of 
tobacco in the western half of the United States, all of which are 
undoubtedly poisonous if eaten even in moderate quantity. 

Solanum dulcamara L. — The bittersweet, or climbing night- 
shade, is a European weed, now introduced in the northeastern 
quarter of the United States. The leaves are suspected of being 
poisonous to stock. 

Solanum nigrum L. — The black nightshade (common night- 
shade; garden nightshade) is a common weed in cultivated 
fields throughout the greater portion of the United States. Cattle 



416 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



seldom eat the plant, but a few cases of poisoning are recorded for 

calves, sheep, goats, and swine. 
Solanum triflorum Nutt. — The spreading nightshade is a native of 

the Great Plains, and also a common garden weed from Arizona 

and Texas to British America. Complaints of the poisoning 

of cattle by this plant have 
been sent to this Department 
from Nebraska. Experiments 
show that the berries are poi- 
sonous. 
Solanum tuberosum L. — The 
small, immature tubers of the 
common cultivated potato and 
those that have turned green 
from exposure to the sun are 
slightly poisonous. The green 
fruit and the white sprouts 
from mature potatoes are like- 
wise poisonous. In all of these 
cases the deleterious substance 
may be removed or destroyed 
by thorough boiling. 

SCROPHULARIACEJE (Figwort 
Family) . 

Digitalis purpurea L. — The pur- 
ple foxglove is a common 
garden plant which has spar- 
ingly escaped from cultivation 
and is naturalized to some ex- 
tent on Cape Breton Island. 
Horses are occasionally poi- 
soned in Europe by nipping the plants from gardens or by eating 
hay contaminated with it. 
Gerardia tenuifolia Vahl. — The slender gerardia is native to the 
eastern half of the United States, and has been specially reported 
as poisonous to sheep and to calves in the Southern States. 
Gratiola officinalis L. — The hedge HYSSOP of the Southern States 
contains an acrid poison. The same plant grows in Europe and 
is there regarded as poisonous to stock. 
Pedicularis sp. — The plants of this genus are commonly called 
LOUSEWORT. In Europe several species are suspected of being 
slightly poisonous to stock. One of these, P. jicdustris, occurs in 
Labrador, and there are over thirty species native to the United 
States, largely Western. They should all be suspected of being 
poisonous. 




Fig. 68.— Spreading nightshade (Solanum. triflo 
rum ), one-third natural size. 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



417 



CAMPANULACE^E (Bell-flower Family). 

Bolelia sp. — One or more species of this genus are suspected of being 
poisonous to sheep in California. 

Lobelia inflata L., Indian tobacco. — L. kalmii L., brook bole- 
lia. — L. spicata Lam., pale-spiked lobelia. — L. syphilitica 
L., great lobelia. — All of the species in this genus contain an 
acrid and usually milky juice and are poisonous. None has been 
specially reported as poisonous to stock, but the above-named 
species are to be suspected because they frequently occur in 
grass and are sometimes 
found in meadow hay. 

AMBROSIACEiE (Ragweed Family). 

Xanthium canadense Mill. — 

The young seedlings of the 

American cocklebur are 

reported from Texas as being 

rapidly fatal to hogs. 
Xanthium spinosum L. — The 

SPINY CLOTBUR is suspected 

of being poisonous, but few 

cases have been definitely 

recorded against it. The 

seeds apparently contain a 

toxic compound. 
Xanthium strumarium L. — The 

young seedlings of the broad 

cocklebur are reported 

from Georgia as being fatal 

to hogs. Experiments seem 

to show that the seed is poi- 
sonous. 

CARDUACEvE (Thistle Family). 

Fig. 69.— Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), 
Helenium autumnale L. — one-third natural size. 

Sneezeweed (sneezewort; 

autumn sneezeweed; stagger weed; false sunflower) is 
found throughout the greater portion of the United States, being 
most abundant in the Southern and Eastern States. Sheep, 
cattle, and horses that are unfamiliar with the plant are often 
poisoned by it when driven to localities where it is abundant. 
Stock avoid it, as a rule, but it is claimed that they sometimes 
develop a taste for the plant and are killed quickly by eating it 
in large quantity. 




418 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Helenium tenuifolium Nutt. — The fine-leafed sneezeweed has 
been reported from several of the Gulf States, where it is a 
troublesome weed, fatal to horses and mules. It is not known 
to what extent cattle may feed on the plant with impunity, but 
the bitter principle in milk and meat sometimes met with in the 
Southern States is quite generally supposed to be due to these 
plants. 

Senecio jacobaea L. — The tansy ragwort, or staggerwort, is a 
European plant which grows as a weed in ballast about New 
York and Philadelphia. Farther north, in Nova Scotia, it has 
become extensively naturalized, and it is there regarded by stock 
men as poisonous. It is interesting to note that S. guadalensis 
of Mexico is also considered fatal to stock. 

Solidago sp. — A species of golden-rod growing in Wisconsin is sus- 
pected of being very poisonous to horses. The damage is per- 
haps due to a parasitic growth on this plant. (See Coleosporium 
solidaginis.) 



LIST OF PLANTS KNOWN TO BE POISONOUS TO STOCK. 



Ergot, Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul. 
Clathrus, Clathrus columnatus Bosc. 
Fly poison, Chrosperma musccetoxicum 

(Walt.) Kuntze. 
American white hellebore, Veratrum 

viride Ait. 
Slender nettle, Urtica gracilis Ait. 
Pokeweed, Phytolacca decandra L. 
Corn cockle, Agrostemma githago L. 
Aconite, Aconitum napellus L. 
Western aconite, Aconitum columbi- 

anurn Nutt. 
Dwarf larkspur, Delphinium tricorne 

Michx. 
Field larkspur, Delphinium consolida L. 
Purple larkspur, Delphinium menziesii 

DC. 
Wyoming larkspur, Delphinium geyeri 

Greene. 
Green hellebore, Helleborus viridis L. 
Cursed crowfoot, Ranunculus scelera- 

tus L. 
Celandine, Chelidonium majus L. 
Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum L. 
Field poppy, Papaver rhceas L. 
Laurel cherry, Priuius caroliniana 

(Mill.) Ait. 
Wild black cherry, Prunus serotina 

Ehrh. 
Rattlebox, Crotalaria sagittalis L. 
Locust tree, Robinia pseudacacia L. 



Coral bean, Sophora secundiflora (Cav.) 

DC. 
Chinese umbrella tree, Melia azedarach 

L. 
Spurge nettle, Jatropha stimidosa 

Michx. 
Castor oil plant, Ricinus communis L. 
Box, Buxus sempervirens L. 
Staff vine, Celastrus scandens L. 
Common St. John's-wort, Hypericum 

perforatum L. 
Water hemlock, Cicuta maculata L. 
Oregon water hemlock, Cicuta vagans 

Greene. 
Poison hemlock, Conium maculatum L. 
California azalea, Azalea occidenlalis 

Torr. and Gray. 
Narrow-leaf laurel, Kalmia, angustifo- 

lia L. 
Broad-leaf laurel, Kalmia latifolia L. 
Branch ivy, Leucothoe catesbaei (Walt.) 

A. Gray. 
Swamp leucothoe, Leucothoe racemosa 

(L.) A. Gray. 
Mountain fetter bush, Pieris floribunda 

(Pursh.) Benth and Hook. 
Stagger bush, Pieris viariana(L.) Benth 

and Hook. 
California rhododendron, Rhododen- 

dron califomicum Hook. 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



419 



Great laurel, Rhododendron maximum 

L. 
Oleander, Nerium oleander L. 
Milkweed, Asclepias eriocarpa Benth. 
Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca L. 
Jimson weed, Datura stramonium L. 
JimsGn weed, Datura tatula L. 



Black henbane, Hyoscyamus niger L. 
Tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum L. 
Black nightshade, Solatium nigrum L. 
Spreading nightshade, Solarium triflo- 

rum Nutt. 
Purple foxglove, Digitalis purpurea L. 
Sneezeweed, Helenium autumnale L. 



LIST OF PLANTS PROBABLY POISONOUS TO STOCK. 



Mold, Aspergillus glaucous (L.) Link. 
Fly amanita, Amanita muscaria (L.)Fr. 
Bracken fern, Pteris aquilina L. 
Yew, Taxus minor (Michx.) Britton. 
Darnel, Lolium temulentum L. 
California false hellebore, Veratrum 

calif ornicum Durand. 
Death camas, Zygadenus venenosus 

Wats. 
Alkali grass, Zygadenus elegaus Pursh. 
Lily-of -the- valley, Convallaria majalis 

L. 
Red-root, Gyrotheca cupitata (Walt.) 

Morong. 
White baneberry, Aetata alba (L.) Mill. 
Red baneberry, Actoza rubra (Ait.) 

Willd. 
Wind flower, Anemone quinquefolia L. 
Larkspur, Delphinium recurvatum 

Greene. 
Mountain larkspur, Delphinium scopu- 

lorum Gray. 
Cow poison, Delphinium trolliifolium 

Gray. 
Bulbous crowfoot. Ranunculus bulbo- 

sus L. 
Tall crowfoot, Rami7iculus acris L. 
Calycanthus, Butneria fertilis (Walt.) 

Kearney. 



Mexican poppy, Argemone mexicana L. 
Lupine, Lupinus leucophyllus Dougl. 
Silky sophora, Sophora sericea Nutt. 
Large-flowered yellow flax, Linum rigi- 

dum Pursh. 
Spurge, Euphorbia sp. 
California buckeye, JEsculus calif ornica 

(Spach) Nutt. 
Ohio buckeye, ^Esculus glabra Willd. 
Horse chestnut, JEscidus hippocasta- 

num L. 
Red buckeye, .Esculus pavia L. 
Spotted St. John's-wort, Hypericum 

maculatum Walt. 
Cowbane, Oxypolis rigidis (L.) Britton. 
Hemlock water parsnip, Sium cicutoz- 

folium Grnel. 
Wild rosemary, Andromeda polifolia L. 
Pimpernel, Anagallis arvensis L. 
Milkweed, Asclepias mexicana Cav. 
Potato, Solanum tuberosum L. 
Pine-leaf sneezeweed, Helenium tenui- 

folium Nutt. 
Tansy ragwort, Senecio jacoboza L. 
Spring clotbur, Xanthium spinosum L. 
Broad cocklebur, Xanthium struma- 

rium L. 



LIST OF PLANTS SUSPECTED OF BEING POISONOUS TO STOCK. 1 



Cornsmut, Ustilago maydis Corda. 
Golden rod rust, Coleosporium solida- 

g in is (Schw.) Theum. 
Field horsetail, Equisetum arvense L. 
Sleepy grass, Stipa robust a (Vasey) 

Nash. 



Leucocrinum, Leucocrinum montanum 

Nutt. 
Crow poison. Nothoscordum bivalve (L.) 

Britton. 
Atamasco lily, Atamosco atamaseo (L.) 

Greene. 



1 The following explanation appears on page 388: "The list as given is provi- 
sional for some species, as the reports upon which their reputation is founded are 
very meager and sometimes even contradictory. * * They are here enum- 
erated, not necessarily because it is believed that they are poisonous, but with 
the view to eliciting more positive evidence either for or against them. Although 
comprehensive, the list is incomplete, for experience is constantly adding to the 
number already known or suspected to be poisonous." 
5528 3 



420 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Oak, Quercus sp. 

Black greasewood, Sarcdbatus vermicu- 

latus (Hook.) Torr. 
Sleepy catchfly, Silene antirrhina L. 
Anise tree. IUicium floridanum Ellis. 
Mandrake, Podophyllum peltatv.ni L. 
Lambert loco weed, Aragallus lambertii 

(Pursh.) Greene. 
Woolly loco weed, Astragalus viollis- 

simus Torr. 
Loco weed. Astragalus bigeloviiA. Gray. 
Loco weed. Astragalus hornii A. Gray. 
Loco weed, Astragalus patterso7ii A. 

Gray. 
Sesban, Sesbania vesicaria Ell. 
Prairie thermopsis, Thermopsis rhombi- 

folia (Nutt. ) Richards. 
Trailing arbutus, Epigcea repens L. 
Californian Labrador tea, Ledum gland- 

xtlosuta'Nutt. 



Labrador tea, Ledum groenlandicum 

Oeder. 
Privet, Ligustrum vidgare L. 
Spreading dogbane, Apocynum andro- 

scemifolium L. 
Indian hemp, Apocynum cannabi nuvi L. 
Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa L. 
Bittersweet, Solanum dulcamara L. 
Slender gerardia, Gerard in tenuifolia 

Vahl. 
Hedge hyssop, Gratiola officinalis L. 
Lousewort, Pedicularis sp. 
Downingia, Bolelia sp. 
Indian tobacco, Lobelia inflata L. 
Brook lobelia, Lobelia kalmii L. 
Pale-spiked lobelia,Z,o&eZ? a spicata Lam. 
Great lobelia, Lobelia syphilitica L. 
Golden-rod, Solidago sp. 
American cocklebur, Xanthium caua- 

dense Mili. 



INDEX. 



Aconite, European 399 

Western 399 

Aconitum napellus 399 

columbiammi — 399 

Actsea alba .. 399 

rubra 399 

spicata 100 

iEsculacese - - - - . 

iEsculus calif ornica 408 

glabra. 108 

hippocastanum 408 

pavia 408 

Agaricacese 

Agrostenima githago 398 

Alfalfa,..- 38": 

Alkali grass - 396 

Allium vineale 390 

Alsinacese .. 398 

Amanita, fly 393 

deadly 393 

muscaria 393 

Amaryllidacese 397 

Amaryllis family 

Ambrosiacea? -.. 117 

American nightshade. 398 

Amygdaline - . 

Anagallis arvensis 112 

Andromedo polifolia 110 

Andromedotoxin 410 

Anemone quinqiiefolia Km 

Anisetree 

Apiacese - . - -*- 108 

Apocynacea? 113 

Apocynum androsasmif olium 113 

cannabium 113 

Aragallus lambertii 403 

Argemone mexicana . 403 

Asclepiadacea? 113 

Asclepias eriocarpa 113 

mexicana 414 

syriaca 114 

tuberosa 414 

Aspergillus 395 

glaucus. 389,392 

Astragalus bigelo vii 404 

hornii 404 

mollissimus. 401 

pattersonii 404 

Atamosco atamasco 397 

lily 397 

Azalea, California 410 

occidentalis Ill) 



Page. 

Baneberry, red 399 

white 399 

Barberry family 401 

Beaver poison 108 

Beech family 397 

Bell-flower family 417 

Berber idacese = 101 

Bittersweet... 115 

climbing.. .- 408 

Bitterweed 390 

Black greasewood 397 

henbane. - 414 

Blind staggers- - - 389 

Bloat 387,595,398,405 

Bloodwort family 397 

Bolelia.. 417 

Box .* 407 

family... 407 

Bracken fern 394 

Branch ivy .- 411 

Buckeye, California 408 

family ins 

bid 408 

Ohio -... 408 

red 408 

1 Suncb.-fl.ower family 395 

Butneriacea? 402 

Butneria fertilis 402 

Butterfly weed 414 

Buxaceae - 407 

Buxus sempervirens 407 

Cactus -. 38S 

Calfkill 411 

California rhododendron 412 

Calycanthus 402 

Camas -.-.^ 396 

Campanulacea? 417 

Canavalia ensif cruris 391 

Carduaceas 417 

Carrot family 408 

Castor-oil plant ." 407 

Celandine 402 

Celastracese 408 

Celastrus scandens 408 

Chelidonium majus 402 

Chenopodiacea? - - 397 

Cherry, laurel- ^ 402 

wild black 403 

Chico 397 

Chinese umbrella tree 406 

Chrosper ma musca?toxicum 395 

Cicuta 390 

I 



II 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Cicuta bolandera 409 

maculata 390,408 

vagans - 409 

Clathrus columnatus 394 

Claviceps purpurea 393 

Clotbur, spiny - 417 

Cockle 398 

Cocklebur , American 417 

broad 417 

Coleosporium solidaginis 393 

Conium inaculatum — 409 

Convallariaceae - - 397 

Convallaria majalis 397 

Coral bean 405 

Corn cockle -- 398 

smut --- 388,393 

Cowbane - — 408,409 

Cow poison - 401 

Crimson clover - 388 

Crotalaria sagittalis 404 

Crowfoot, bulbous 401 

celery-leafed 401 

cursed - - 401 

family 399 

tall --- 401 

Crow poison . - 395,396 

Darnel. 395 

Datura stramonium -_— 414 

tatula _ 414 

Death camas - -- 396 

Delphinium consolida - 400 

geyeri 400 

menziesii. 400 

recurvatum 401 

scopulorum 401 

tricorne 400 

trolliifolium 401 

Digitalis purpurea - 416 

Dogbane family - -- 413 

Enzootic cerebritis - 392 

Epigaea repens - 410 

Equisetaceae - 394 

Equisetum arvense 394 

palustre - 395 

Ergot. - 390,393 

family 393 

Ericaceae 410 

Euphorbia 406 

bicolor - 407 

marginata 407 

Euphorbiaceae - 406 

Fagaceae 397 

False sunflower - 417 

Fern family - - 394 

Figwort family - 416 

Flax family 406 

large- flowered, yellow 406 

Fly fungus — 393 

poison - 395 

Foxglove, purple 416 

Foxtail grass 388 

Frijolillo - - 405 

Gerardia, slender - 416 

tenuif olia 416 

Garget 398 

Garlic, yellow false 397 



Page. 

Glaucous zygadenus 396 

Golden-rod 393,418 

Goosef oot family 397 

Grass family ; 395 

Gratiola officinalis 416 

Gyrothecacapitata 397 

Haemodoraceae 397 

Heath family 410 

Hedge hyssop 416 

Helenium autumnale 417 

tenuifolium 390,418 

Hemlock... 411 

ground 395 

poison 395,409 

spotted 408,409 

water -. 408 

parsnip.. 410 

Hellebore, American white 395 

California false 395 

common swamp 395 

false 395 

green 401 

Helleborus viridis - 401 

Hordeum 388 

Horse chestnut 408 

Horsetail family 394 

field - 394 

Hy oscyamus niger 414 

Hypericaceae 408 

Hypericum maculatum 408 

perforatum — 408 

Hypocreaceae - -- 393 

Illicium floridanum 399 

Indian corn 395 

hemp 413 

poke .- 395 

tobacco 417 

Ivy. 411 

Jack bean 391 

Jatropha stimulosa 407 

Jimson weed 414 

Kalmia angustifolia.. - 410 

latifolia 411 

Labrador tea - 411 

California 411 

Lambkill 411 

Larkspur 401 

dwarf 400 

field. 400 

purple 400 

tall mountain 401 

Wyoming 400 

Laurel 411 

broad-leaf - 411 

cherry 410 

great - 412 

ground - - - 4 10 

mountain 412 

narrow-leaf 411 

sheep 411 

Ledum glandulosum 411 

grcenlandicum - 411 

Leucocrinum.. 396 

montanum 396 

Leucothoe" catesbaei - 411 

racemosa , 411 



INDEX. 



Ill 



Leucothoe swamp 411 

Ligustrum vulgare , 413 

Liliaceae .. 396 

Lily family 396 

Lily of the valley 397 

family 397 

Linaceae 406 

Linumrigidum 406 

Loco weed 403,404 

lambert 403 

stemless 403 

woolly 404 

Lobelia , 396 

brook 417 

great 417 

inflata 417 

kalmii 417 

pale-spiked 417 

spicata 417 

syphilitica 417 

Locust tree 405 

Lolium temulentum 395 

Lousewort 416 

Lupines 391,404 

Lupinusalbus 405 

leucophyllus 404 

plattensis 391 

Magnoliaceae 399 

Magnolia family. 399 

Mandrake 401 

May apple 390,401 

Mayflower 410 

Melanthaceae 395 

Melia azedarach. _. 406 

Meliaceae 406 

Milkweed 413,414 

family 413 

narrow-leaf 414 

Millethay 391 

Molds 389 

Monk's-hood. 399 

Moorwort 410 

Mountain f etterbush 411 

Mullein pink 398 

Mushroom family .._ 393 

Nerium oleander... 413 

Nettle family 397 

slender 397 

spurge 407 

Nicotiana tabacum 414 

Nightshade, American 398 

black 415 

climbing 415 

common 415 

garden. 415 

spreading... 416 

Nothoscordum bivalve 396 

Oleacese. ___ 413 

Oleander.. 413 

Olive family _ 413 

Opuntia 338 

Oxypolis rigidus. 409 

Paint root 397 

Papaveraceae 402 

Papaver somniferum 402 

Passiflora incarnata 3g9 



Passionflower vine 389 

Pea family 403 

Pedicularis 416 

palustris 416 

Perisporaceae 392 

Phallaceae 394 

Phytolaccaceae 398 

Phytolacca decandra 398 

Pieris floribunda 411 

mariana 412 

Pimpernel 412 

Pink family 398 

Pleurisy root 414 

Plum family 402 

Poaceae. 395 

Podophyllum peltatum. 390,401 

Poison rye-grass. 395 

Poisoning, statistics 391 

Poisonous plants. Loss from 391 

Poison weed 400,413 

Poke 398 

Pokeweed _ 398 

family 398 

Polypodiaceae 394 

Poppy corn 402 

family 402 

field 402 

garden 402 

Mexican 402 

opium 402 

red 402 

Potato _ _ 416 

family _. 414 

Prairie thermopsis 405 

Prim 413 

Primrose family 412 

Primulaceae 412 

Privet 413 

Prunaceae 402 

Primus caroliniana 402 

serotina _ 403 

Pteris aquilina _ 394 

Quamasia quamash 396 

Quercus 397 

Ragweed family 417 

Ranunculaceae _ 399 

Ranunculus acris. 401 

bulbosus 401 

scelera tus 401 

Rattlebox 404 

Rattleweed 404 

Red root 397 

Rhododendron calif ornicum 412 

maximum 412 

Rhus 387 

Ricinus communis 407 

Robinia pseudacacia __ 405 

Rosebay _ 412 

Rot-mold family _ 392 

Rust family _ 393 

Sarcobatus vermiculatus 397 

Scrophulariaceae 416 

Senecio guadalensis 418 

jacobsea 418 

Sesbania vesicaria. 405 

Silene antirrhina 398 



IV 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Silkweed 414 

Silky sophora 105 

Shim cicutsefolium 410 

Sleepy catchfly -- 398 

grass -- 395 

Slough hay ---- 390 

Smut family --- 393 

Sneeze weed 417 

autumn - 417 

fine-leaf 418 

Sneezewort 417 

Solanacea? 414 

Solanum dulcamara — 415 

nigrum 415 

triflorum 416 

tuberosum -- 416 

Solidago - -- 418 

Sophora secundiflora - 405 

sericea 405 

Spreading dogbane 413 

Spurge 406 

family 406 

nettle - 407 

Squirrel-tail grass - 388 

Staff-tree family.-.. 408 

Staff-vine 408 

Stagger bush -- 412 

Staggers 392,397 

Staggerweed --- 400,415 

Staggerwort 41s 

Statistics of poisoning - : (91 

Stink-horn family 394 

Stipa robusta - 395 

St. John's-wor1 common 408 

family 408 

spotted 408 

Stock-killers 387 

Strawberry-shrub f amil y 402 

Sweet-scented shrub 402 



Tansy ragwort 418 

Taxaceae 395 

Taxus minor 395 

brevifolia ._ 3% 

Thermopsis rhombifolia... 105 

Thistle family 417 

Tobacco 414 

Trailing arbutus 410 

Trifolium incarnatum 388 

Umbrella-tree family 406 

Uredinacese 393 

Urticacea? - - 397 

Urtica gracilis 397 

Ustilaginaceae - - 393 

TJstilago 395 

maydis - 388,398 

Velvet bean 391 

Veratrum calif ornicum 395 

viride 305 

Viciacea> 403 

Water hemlock ... 390 

Wild garlic 390 

pea -- 404 

rosemary - 410 

Wind flower - 400 

Wolfsbane - 399 

Woolly mold 392 

Xanthium canadense 417 

spinosum 417 

strumarium 417 

Yew._ -- - 395 

common - 305 

European 395 

family 395 

Western 395 

Zea mays 395 

Zygadenus venenosus 396 

elegans 396 



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